SOME BIRDS OF THE MANGROVES 
161 
notes. Also called Brown Thickhead. Inhabits the mangroves and 
adjoining dense scrubs and swamps; usually in pairs. It is very shy 
and retiring in habits, and has a somewhat pleasing and lengthened 
song, but without the “whip-crack" ending which is characteristic of 
the song of the other Whistlers. Food: insects and seeds of various 
kinds. 
nest. An open structure, composed of long pieces of coarse crass; 
lined with the feathery seed-tops of grass and a few feathers. Generally 
placed in an upright forked branch of a mangrove or other tree. 
eggs. Two, pale buff, with spots of dark brown and underlying 
markings of lilac, which are chiefly confined to the larger end. 
Breeding-season: not recorded. 
13. Yellow Silver-eye Zosterops lutea Gould 
Zos-ter'-ops—G k, zoster , belt; Gk, ops , face: lu'-te-a—L., lutcus, yellow. 
distribution. Tropical northern Australia to western Queens¬ 
land, from Carnarvon to the Norman River. 
notes. Also called Yellow White-eye. Usually in small flocks, fre¬ 
quenting the mangroves and nearby scrubs; it is very active whilst 
searching among the leaves for insects, uttering the while its low 
“tinkling" note. Food: insects, berries, and seeds. 
nest. A neat, cup-shaped structure, said to be similar to that of the 
Grey-breasted Silver-eye; usually placed in a mangrove tree. 
eggs. Three, pale bluish-green. Breeding-season: probably Septem¬ 
ber to January. 
14. White-breasted Whistler Pachycephala lanioides Gould—14A 
Female 
lan-i-oid-es— Gk, lanios, butcher-bird; Gk, - oides t from eidos, form r= 
like. 
distribution. Northern Australia, from Shark Bay to the Gulf 
of Carpentaria. 
notes. Also called White-bellied Thickhead. Usually in pairs, fre¬ 
quenting the mangroves; similar in habits and song to the other 
Whistlers. 
nest. Built of twigs and rootlets, lined with finer rootlets, and 
fastened in position with cobwebs. Built in a fork in the centre of a 
mangrove tree at about 6 feet from the ground. 
eggs. Two, stone-coloured or buff, with a zone of umber and laven¬ 
der spots at the larger end. Breeding-season: December to January. 
15. Shining Flycatcher Piezorhynchus alecto Temminck—15A. Female 
Pi-ez'-o-rhynch'-us- Gk, piczcin, to press; Gk, rhynchos ( rhugchos ), 
beak: alecto —one of the furies (mythological). 
distribution. Tropical northern Australia, from Point Torment 
in the west to Hervey Bay in the east. 
